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Four-Down Territory: Texas hunts for a head coach, All-Americans announced, decision time for Bridgewater

Mack Brown

FILE - In this March 30, 2013 file photo, Texas coach Mack Brown walks on the field during the team's spring NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas. Brown has stepped down as coach and that the Alamo Bowl against Oregon on Dec. 30 will be his last game with the Longhorns, the school announced Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/ Eric Gay, File)

As the college football world gets settled in for bowl season, the biggest piece of news we're all waiting to hear is who will take over a team that sits at 8-4 and will finish its season in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30. That doesn't sound quite right, but then again, they do everything bigger in Texas.

Here are four downs for your Wednesday morning, highlighting the biggest midweek stories in college football:

1st Down: Can Texas herd a big name to Austin?

Last Saturday night, Texas coach Mack Brown announced he will be stepping down as head coach after the Longhorns' bowl game. Since then, if you're a coach with a few wins under your belt, odds are you've been mentioned as a potential candidate to take the reins at Texas.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban watches near the end of a loss to Auburn during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

At first, the Longhorns' search seemed focused on Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide put a stop to that, signing Saban to a contract extension worth an average of $7 million until 2020. Turns out, Saban never considered spurning the Tide for Texas, anyway.

From there, Texas' coaching search began to spin out of control. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly all found it in their best interest to declare they have no intention of leaving the NFL for a job at Texas. But that doesn't even scratch the surface of coaches who have already been tied to college football's hottest job opening.

Also considered an A-list candidate is Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, who already has a lot on his plate as he prepares the No. 1 Seminoles for a date with No. 2 Auburn on Jan. 6 in the BCS National Championship Game. Texas might not be keen on waiting until the second week of January to make a hire, but there's reason to believe Fisher is a realistic candidate, writes Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinal:

Fisher is a logical choice for the Texas job. He's proven he can consistently evaluate talent and develop it, something that was lacking towards the end of Brown's tenure.

Plus Texas would be able to make Fisher one of the highest paid coaches in the country.

But would that be appealing enough for Fisher to leave a program he has built up?

Unless Malzahn wants to replace Nick Saban circa 2006 as the ultimate coaching Pinocchio, he's already chosen what he has at Auburn over what he might have at Texas.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio holds up a rose after Michigan State defeated Ohio State, 34-24, in the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game Saturday Dec. 7, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Another name that's made the rounds is Mark Dantonio, who coached the No. 4 Michigan State Spartans to a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth this season. However, Dantonio squashed any rumors about his candidacy by saying he views Michigan State as a "destination, not a stop": (via MLive.com)

Dantonio is the ninth-highest paid coach in the Big Ten, making around $1.9 million annually. Athletic director Mark Hollis already has said the entire football staff will be up for a raise this offseason, and he's confident Dantonio will be back.

Texas' search for a new face of the program is creating such a buzz, the oddsmakers in Vegas got involved. If you believe the numbers, Louisville's Charlie Strong is the most likely to coach the Longhorns next year, garnering 2 to 1 odds. Vegas' next choice would be Baylor coach Art Briles, with 9 to 2 odds. CBSSports.com's Jeremy Fowler doesn't believe either coach will end up in Austin, though:

Charlie Strong (2/1): Disagree. Great coach and recruiter, but just seems like an odd fit. He can either stay at Louisville or wait out Florida, where he has a long history and a good relationship with the people there. Louisville AD Tom Jurich isn't about to be outbid. Strong's mild-mannered. Can coach in shadows at Louisville -- and make nearly $4M a year doing so.

Art Briles (9/2): Disagree. No doubt Texas was part of the conversation when Briles and Baylor finalized a contract extension last month worth more than $4 million per year. Both parties already got what they wanted. Bailing on Baylor before unveiling the new stadium that he built would be a tough sell for a guy with a soul like Briles. Maybe I'm naive. Just don't see it.

At this point, all we can do is wait and see how things unfold. There is one name you can definitely cross off the list, despite his own personal campaign for the job.

Hey Steve @stevepatterson you need a huge name for huge job buddy. I know football even better than baseball.

In this photo provided by the Heisman Trust, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston hoists the Heisman Trophy after being named college football's best player during the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. Winston, 19, is the youngest winner of the trophy and the second straight player to win the prestigious award in his first year of college. (AP Photo/Heisman Trust, Kelly Kline)

Florida State Heisman winning quarterback Jameis Winston was named the first-team quarterback. Boston College running back Andre Williams, third runner-up in the Heisman voting, joins Carey as a first-team running back.

Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, who finished third in the Heisman voting, was selected to the first team as an "all-purpose player."

Hyde emerged as one of the best running backs in the country, and in the process he became the first 1,000-yard running back to ever play under Urban Meyer even after missing the first three games with suspension. Entering the Orange Bowl, Hyde has 1,408 rushing yards (7.7 per carry) and 12 touchdowns.

There will never be a better time for Bridgewater to make the leap to the NFL. He would immediately be the consensus top quarterback in the draft. Several teams will be in desperate need for a quarterback. He is already in the discussion as the possible number one draft pick.

How do you improve on that?

Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) is pursued by Cincinnati defensive lineman Jordan Stepp (94) in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

• If Bridgewater does declare for the draft, USA Today has him tabbed as the top pick in their latest mock draft. A surprise name making waves with his draft stock is Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles, who according to some could find himself as the first quarterback to come off the board:

A few weeks ago, he wasn't considered a first round prospect mainly because no one was exactly sure if he would declare early or not. Then, Oregon's Marcus Mariota decided to return for his redshirt junior campaign, and the race for top quarterback was flung wide open.

• Planning to watch the first batch of bowl games? Sports Illustrated compiled a list of players to keep an eye on as they make their final case to be a high draft pick.

4th Down: Bye bye, BCS

Jan. 6, 2014 marks the final day of the BCS era. Created by former college football coach and administrator Roy Kramer, the BCS wasn't perfect and it never could have been. Even still, Kramer tells ESPN's Chris Low that he's confident the BCS served its purpose and brought college football to a prominence it has never before experienced:

"Despite the criticism, I think perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the BCS was the increased interest in college football and elevating it to a national sport from a regional sport," said Kramer, who implemented the idea heading into the 1998 season.

"We were able to maintain the significance of the regular season, which was a goal. The regular season is the backbone of college football, so that was very important. And even though some people might say there are too many bowls, we were able to maintain and expand the bowl system. Look at the number of Mid-American Conference teams going to bowls now. And without the BCS, you never would have had Boise State playing Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl or Hawaii playing in the Sugar Bowl.

"Rather than it being restrictive, I think the BCS broadened college football."